CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Palataka man shot by a Clay County Sheriff’s Office SWAT member Saturday night after holding a woman hostage in a Green Cove Springs gas station has a history of violence, past arrest records show.
Lancy Keenon, 44, was arrested after the incident that sparked panic in the small town by the St. Johns River and remains in the hospital on Monday. He’s being held on $1 million bond and charged with kidnapping.
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According to an arrest report obtained by News4JAX on Monday, Keenon had a knife, and found his his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in the car at the gas station. He then cut the woman’s seatbelt and threatened the man, who told investigators he thought he had a gun. The ex-girlfriend and the man ran into the store for help and Keenon followed them and held the woman hostage until Clay CSO ended the situation by shooting him, according to the report.
Records show Keenon has a long history of arrests in Putnam County including for grand theft, domestic battery and traffic offenses dating back to the ‘90s.
An arrest report from Putnam County last year said Keenon was also accused of holding a gun on the same woman involved in the incident Saturday night. He was out on bond awaiting trial.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said Keenon held the woman hostage inside the bathroom for more than four hours. Deputies closed down portions of the roads surrounding the station while SWAT team members and negotiators spoke to the man.
Deputies noted the incident was unrelated to the Green Cove Springs Christmas Parade, though this happened around the time the parade was winding down.
“Our department is aware of some concerns expressed on social media related to patrol vehicles responding to the scene while the parade was still occurring,” a lengthy post from the Green Cove Springs Police Department on social media reads in part. “Rest assured that any concerns our citizens have translate (sic) into concerns we have. If any officers’ actions were unreasonable, they will be properly addressed.”
A police department spokesperson said Sunday it conducts after-action investigation after every major incident it responds to in order to see what could be done better. As of right now, there are no allegations of wrongdoing, the spokesman said.
FDLE was on the scene Sunday morning to investigate since a deputy was involved in the shooting.
